Dublin Airport Security
 

What's with the security at Dublin airport? You land to connect to another flight, and the first thing that happens when you get off the plane is you go through security! Of course, you have to give up any liquids over the limit.

Not too much of a problem for me and the wife. She just had to dump a bottle of water that she'd bought in the Departure Lounge at Heathrow, but she wasn't happy.

Coming back from Boston, there was more than one bottle of Duty Free confiscated from other passengers. :( :*

WTF??

It's the same in a lot of international transfers. You cannot board without being security cleared to the legal standards of that state. Otherwise you could fly Pakistan-LHR-USA with a bomb, all you need to do is bribe a corrupt airport official in Pakistan. This is why all Pakistan-US flights transit Manchester, as they are not trusted by the destination country.

So you are saying that its possible to avoid security on a flight to Manchester, or Toronto, or any of the other destinations operated by any airline from Pakistan.

It's likely as easy to bribe or corrupt a TSA official, from all the reports in the media.

If the origin and connection airports are in the EU the Duty Free Shop should put the 'bottle' in a special plastic bag with the receipt in plain view. Provided it was purchased within 24hrs or so and is unopened, etc. Security at the connecting airport should accept it without comment.

This also works if the DF was purchased on an EU airlines flight into the EU and a couple of other 'selected' airlines (I think SQ is on the list, but not many others).

This DOES NOT work at US gateways but you do have the chance (as you must clear your luggage through customs) to stuff the bottle into your checked luggage (if you have any).

Don't buy bottled water. Not only is it not green, it is even less so if it's taken away from you. Take an empty bottle - and fill that up in the loos once past security. I've never understood the desire to buy water shipped half-way around the world when the free stuff is just as good.

I recommend you use the taps in the loo, but you are on your own ...

That's pretty much what the guy I asked said, "Different country, different rules", but I'd of thought that UK/US security checks would be deemed as thorough enough.

I'm afraid this is not just at Dublin - this is at every connecting airport. Including those of us flying from Dublin via a UK or US airport to elsewhere.

Quite simply, nobody officially trusts anyone else's security standards anymore - you must be screened to that country's "standard", even if they are identical to the one you just left. Daft, I know, but the way it is in this messed up, post 9/11 world.

At many airports they warn you that you will not be able to ro a subsequent transit with liquids.

As for not using bottled water, it's one of my pet gripes, but at many airports the water in airside toilets is hot only, or marked 'non-drinkable', to force you to buy their over-priced bottled water. This is a disgrace.

The tragedy off all this is that the terrorists have won.

I don't know that the terrorists have won, unless you count airport management as terrorists. They are certainly rip off agents, carrying on some very dubious commercial practices.

I would love to see the HSE take swab samples for a microbial analysis from the floors where people walk through the security gates.

What is the point of having an aircraft full of well screened passengers when so many airport surroundings actually make them a soft target?

Slight drift, but what is the point of US and Canadian Immigration officials having a gun strapped to their waist? Everyone getting off the plane and standing in the queue has been screened and would not have weapons of any sort (in theory). Defies logic.

I've never heard of an immigration person ever using a gun either. (Tasering yes, bullets no)

ExXB,

Pax may be arriving from airports where security measures are well below those of US and UK. Hence there is risk from the point of view of US and UK authorities!

Rwy in Sight

As others have said, it's not only Dublin. Amsterdam will confiscate bottles from in-transit passengers which were bought at the original point of departure, even if correctly plastic bag sealed etc. I've never tested the system but suspect the same applies at Heathrow

A pain but that's life these days. And how much has the taxpayer now spent to keep Abu Whatshisame in the UK?

I dont think this only applies to international transfers, it happens on domestic to international transfers as well. I seem to remember that UK domestic to LHR T5 are screened through security on arrival before being allowed into departures.

Usually Uk domestic airside transfers to international flights dont need to be screened before entering departure lounge but individual airports are free to go over and above Dft recommendations if they wish.
Eire and Channel island pax are of course counted as international for the purposes of security ,customs and immigration.

T5 domestic to T5 connections are not rescreened as all have been screened to DfT standards. Connecting to other terminals are screened againas they mix in with other connecting pax who have not been screened to DfT standards.

I'm amazed anyone still buys duty free booze.......... unless you're headed to Norway

Actually Frankfurt does a very good 30% off deal which changes every month. Sometimes these are real bargains - even for within-Europe travel.

But guess what? Last month my FRA-EDI flight got cancelled and, being the last flight of the day, I got shipped off to a hotel (after several hours standing in a queue). My bottle of premium brand gin bought in the airport shop, properly sealed and receipted less the 24h previously was not allowed through security the following morning.

So ExxB your idea that ...
...did not pan out on this occasion.

And that's the same frigin' airport !!!! :ugh:

My apologies, Here is the EU document. Since yours wasn't purchased on 'that day' it need not have been accepted. It states:

EU duty free liquids which have been obtained at EU airports or on board of an aircraft of an EU carrier on condition that they are packed in packed in security tamper-evident bag (STEB), inside which proof of purchase at airside at that airport on that day is displayed, as recommended by International Civil Aviation Organization ;

Note that the Americans don't accept this for transfers to US bound flights. It needs to be purchased at the airport of departure for the US after security clearance. (There are some exceptions for domestic connections to the departure airport)